Throwing a 30th birthday or any big birthday party for a friend or loved one can involve a lot of planning and organisation, but can also be a lot of fun. After all, what’s a party without some fun?

So rule one, don’t be too serious! Loosen up and have fun planning the big day. If you follow the simple steps below you are sure to be on to a winner.

One thing to remember is whether you have the party at home with a few small games and drinks or you hire the largest hall you can find and book Robbie Williams to perform, a party is a personal experience and making it special to the birthday person is what is important, not how many people come or how much you spend!

Is it a surprise party?

You need to decide if it is going to be a surprise party or will the person know that he/she will be having a party?

Both sides have pros and cons. For example, a surprise party is harder to organise as it is done in secret and you will have to make sure all who are invited are aware that it is a surprise party so not to slip up when talking to the birthday boy/girl! Whereas, if it is not a surprise party he/she can invite their friends in person and no one can slip up and mention the party to them. They can also have input and choose their own entertainment.

When and where?

You will have to find a date when most people can attend. There will always be someone who cannot make the event, and you cannot please everyone. You have to make the decision as to who you want there the most.

Also,where will the party be? Will you hire a hall or function room or will you have the party at home? If you hire a function room, remember to find out how much the drinks will be. You don’t want to bankrupt people or force them to leave early due to the price of the drinks in the venue! Also, if you have the party at home, can you get a barbecue or gazebo outside? And will you supply the drinks, or will people bring their own?

Entertainment

By now, you have a venue and have decided if it’s a surprise or not. So, time to look at the entertainment for the evening. This could be a live band, karaoke, a comedian or even an adult entertainer! On the other hand, you could just play music, and maybe have a few party games. I have found before that even a child’s game of pass the parcel with funny wrapping paper and comedy gift can go down well.

Another good idea is to theme the night, fancy dress being the obvious one. But why not invest in a poker table and roulette wheel? Great entertainment all night and relatively inexpensive.

The invitations

Again, if this is a surprise party, make it clear on the invitation not to mention anything to the birthday boy/girl!

The most important part to the invitations is timing. Ideally they should arrive with the guest around 4 weeks prior to the party to give ample time to prepare or take time off work, etc. Nobody wants a ‘last minute’ party that no one can attend! So make sure you prepare well!

Finally, and optionally – a surprise gift

If you plan to give that special someone a surprise gift, maybe a weekend away, spa day or football tickets, then why not surprise them with the gift at the party. A good time for this is just after he/she has blown out the candles on the cake. Make a little speech and then give them the surprise present. It will go down a treat.

So, all in all, the final word on planning a 30th birthday party is PREPARE! Make sure you prepare well in advance, use the above guidelines and you cannot fail to succeed. Good luck, and have a great party!

Ryan Marshall

Do you have any other ideas for a 30th birthday? If so, please share them in the comments box below.

Ideas submitted by our readers on: 30th birthday party ideas

Why not try a dance party for your 30th Birthday party. Its guaranteed to have your whole group in giggles throughout.

Thanks to Claire Robinson — February 8, 2012

We recently performed for a surprise 30th .. a really nice young gay couple .. two lovely girls who could not do enough for each other

Caribbean theme always goes down well .. nice cool steeldrums to start off the evening, while people wine, dine, mix and mingle, then later more uptempo with a mix of Steeldrum band and Caribbean DJ … with Dub, Dancehall Reggae and Soca .. bring into the mix POP, Dance, R&B, Motown etc … all makes for a great party to remember

Thanks to Steelasophical — October 10, 2012

Why not have a real song written specially for your loved one, with any infrmation you tell us, included in the song. The song can be performed live by a professional singer, across the UK. The singer will present the person with a full band production audio CD of the special song. The CD is professionally packaged and includes photos you supply printed onto the body of the CD and the cover to so that it makes a wonderful present they can treasure forever.

Thanks to Mike Collins — February 18, 2013

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